Tuesday December 15 1914
I am on grain orderley for a
week. I draw the forage for the
horses. They get bran, oaten chaff,
Tibben (or Boosa) oats, barley and a feed of green stuff at night it is just
like lucern in fact I think it is lucern but it grows much ranker here than it
foes in Aust. One of the Brigade Head
Quarters men was missing for three days and they found him at the foot of the
Pyramids with his neck broken; though he is still alive I believe he hasn’t much
chance poor chap, if I remember right his name was Beard, he is in Mena
hospital now. Our guns came out tonight
from Cairo. We are getting good tucker
so far and plenty of it for a wonder.
The unfortunate Soldier mentioned above by Billy was 2384 Reginald
Arthur Beard, of the 3rd Field Artillery Brigade Head Quarters. A lengthy
article detailing Gunner Beard's accident was published in the
Queensland Times, on the 22nd April 1915 (full article located here).
[Courtesy of National Library of Australia]
Tuesday 15th December
Again very cold crisp night. Went into Cairo with Major Browne to see about 8th Battery vehicles and B.A.C. vehicles. Had lunch at Kan el Nil barracks. Afterwards visited three shops to arrange for enamelled mess kit, it having been decided that all officers shall join in a Brigade Mess. Shops close from 1PM to 3 PM, so we did not quite complete our task before returning to camp. Had an Arab guide with us, the son of the Sheik of Mena Village right against our camp. He explained many things to us, incidentally telling us of his approaching marriage, and the customs in connection therewith. These guides are evidently feeling the loss of trade in connection with tourists, there being no "Season" this year. We are trying to learn Arabic.
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